Aragon
Aragon is an Outer Colony under the governance of the Unified Earth Government in the 61 Ursae Majoris System. It was settled in 2382 and became the center of trade and operations for the region due to the Callisto Trade Route that connected the planet to multiple other colonies in the area. FLEETCOM Sector 15, under jurisdiction of Fleet Admiral Noah Braxton, is headquartered at FLEETCOM HQ Delta on Aragon. Galactic Positioning 61 Ursae Majoris is a G8V main sequence yellow star around 1 gigayear old in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is located at 31.1 light years from Earth and a direct jump into Slipstream space can take around two months of travel time. It is easier to conduct shorter jumps when traveling to Earth as it can cut the travel time by forty percent. 61 UM's superior interstellar jump point provided quick transportation to multiple colonies and it became the shell of the Callisto Trade Route. Groombridge-1830 is the nearest star located at 2.6 light years. Asterion is located at 7.4 light years. Dwarka, Bhuj, and Erode are located in the 11 Leonis Minoris System at 16 light years away. Solar System The system consists of at least three planets and an outer asteroid belt. Aegis-One is a Hot Jupiter massive enough to shield or disrupt solar flares that are ejected from the parent star. It helps make up for the weaker magnetic field that Aragon has when compared to the likes of Earth. Aragon is the third planet and is 1.3 times greater in diameter than the Earth and before the terraforming process, there were few reservoirs of water on the surface. The UEG transported ice gathered from comets and dwarf planets in the outer system and used it to make the oceans of Aragon. Three supermassive asteroids – Sonora, Talon, and Rah – were transported from the outer system and moved into geosynchronous orbit over Aragon. The infrastructure of the Isaac Hannaford Defense Network – a network of turret systems that can annihilate incoming meteorites – was built around the moons. Topography Aragon is host to four continents, two of which are Asturias and Visue. Asturias is geographically characterized by its canyons, desert landscapes, and crystal-clear rivers. Visue has arable land, valleys, and plains that stretch for miles. The Blue Beaver Dam controls floods, provides irrigation water for the farmlands up north, and produces hydroelectricity that powers the cities and homes nearby. Atrium is the capital city located a few miles down the Fusaku River. The UEG Silver Tower is the capitol building where legislature meets and discusses politics. It lies at the geographical center of the city, with the Babel space elevator being located on the west side. The elevator is the city's life line that connects to Anchorage Station in orbit. Mercury Parcel Services, Odyssembly Vaults, and Croft Machinery are just a few of the mega-corporations that have built their headquarters in Downtown Atrium. FLEETCOM Headquarters Delta is also based in the capital. Further south along the river lies another settlement called Groves Port. It's located along the coast of Asturias and is known for its fishing industry. Odyssembly Vaults constructed shipbuilding and shipbreaking yards within a network of canyons that are located between the two settlements of Atrium and Groves Port. It's known that these yards have become a popular tourist attraction for outsiders. Defenses Aragon has a strong naval presence due to constant trafficking and transportation ships that frequent the system. It is important that the UNSC regulate the traffic especially following the release of the Cole Protocol. FLEETCOM HQ Delta, of which Fleet Admiral Noah Braxton is in command of, has direct command of the Aragon Defense Fleet. In the years preceding the Aragon Campaign, the fleet consisted of a state-of-the-art Orbital Defense Grid, the ''Punic''-class [[UNSC Mortal Remains|UNSC Mortal Remains]], at least three cruisers and four light warships per orbital platform, and the Isaac Hannaford Defense Network which could be repurposed to provide support against lighter space fighters. The Unified Ground Command coordinated the terrestrial operations of the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force. The 45th Air Squadron was renowned for their skills as pilots and proved capable of halting the progression of Covenant ground and air forces during the initial invasion of Aragon in 2537. Their intervention forced the Covenant corvette ''March of Requiem'' to retreat after the engines were targeted and damaged. General Maverick Masca commanded the squadron and communicated with Terrace Queens, civilian MPS pilot, while he offered to evacuate some people aboard his cargo ship. In the conclusion of the Aragon Campaign, the Covenant Fleet of Particular Justice overwhelmed and outnumbered the UNSC defense fleet. The final battle lasted for weeks before the entire defense grid collapsed and ground forces were reduced to nothing. FLEETCOM HQ Delta was lost and coordination of the UNSC resistance for the colonies along the Callisto Trade Route had destabilized leaving Asterion as the sole survivor of Sector 15. Notable Residents *Aaron Gibson *Austin Barakat *Noah Braxton *Maverick Masca *Terrace Queens History Aragon is called the most inner Outer Colony because it's importance is arguably greater than that of Reach. Reach is located at the metaphorical doorstep of Earth and multiple other colonies are branched out from Reach. In the same sense, Aragon is the UEG's backdoor that connects to a multitude of Outer Colonies that are difficult to reach the other systems. The colonization in 2382 experienced rapid developments upon the formal establishment of the Callisto Trade Route. This trade route solidified Aragon's political, governmental, militaristic, and economic importance as now actions and decisions made on Aragon had reverberations across the other colonies. 'Colonization' Population growth soared and in less than a decade, cities and entire states were formed on the continents of Aragon. The Miracle of the Great Bear – a golden age of economic prosperity and identity – was sparked by the innovations in reducing Slipspace travel times and improving communication between worlds (though not at the caliber seen in the mid-26th century). It started in 2430 and could be considered another major milestone in causing the Insurrection. The Outer Colonies became more independent and national, no longer needing to rely on their oppressive older brothers in the Inner Colonies. Enter the Inner Colony Wars. In the decade that followed the Miracle of the Great Bear, the Inner Colonies began to experience inflation and higher rates as a big percentage of the cash flow and raw materials no longer shifted inwards. The captains of industry feared scarcity and higher priced imports would reduce their profits. These businesses stirred public opinion against the Outer Colonies and demanded from the government more intervention and balance between the Inner and Outer Colonies. It was in this period of time that the colonies received their monikers as either Inner or Outer worlds. The UEG would hear their cries and elect President James MacArthur to provide the solution to their dissatisfaction. President MacArthur held nepotism towards the Inner Colonies' plight. He released a series of bills and laws known as the Snowdrop Acts of 2484 that would impose greater taxes and regulations on the Outer Colonies. He intended to dampen the success of the Outer Colonies so their profits could be directed inwards. He acts caused too much cash flow which weakened the Outer Colonies and enraged the colonists whom have started to acquire a taste for the life of luxury. It wasn't long before nationalism and dissident resulted in protests, declarations for independence, and insurrection towards an apathetic draconian government. 'Insurrection' The United Rebel Front, under command of General Howard Graves, conducted several acts of terrorism against the colonists of Aragon. He targeted cargo ships and intended to cut off the UNSC's supply line in the sector. His efforts were almost futile against the powerhouse that was Aragon, but it did manage to earn him favor with some of the more distant colonies in the sector. When the Covenant War started, he made the argument that the Covenant were tracking down colonies using trade routes established and frequented by the UNSC. After actions reports did show a trend which earned him much support in the sector in the late 2520s. During this time period, the UNSC lost contact with a few colonies including Victoria, Capella, and Prism. It is known that Capella was glassed sometime afterwards, but Prism survived and remained independent through the war. 'Siege of Aragon' The introduction of the Human-Covenant War would have huge ramifications for the planet in the coming years. First of all, the UNSC were handed emergency powers and martial law was routinely practiced in areas where invasion was nigh. Mercury Parcel Services and the Department of Colonial Shipping experienced the greatest limitations and regulations on how to operate. The Cole Protocol of 2535 didn't make things easier. The Covenant came close to discovering the location of Aragon in 2530 when their forces invaded and were subsequently defeated at Groombridge-1830 by Admiral Cole. Fearing the worst, Admiral Braxton received approval to construct the first ever Orbital Defense Grid at Aragon. It would prove to be most effective tool against the Covenant as seen during their invasion in June 5, 2537. The Covenant came prepared with their own never-before-seen superweapon, the CSO-class Supercarrier Prudent Advisory. The Covenant fleet proved unable to weather the might of the defense grid and remained locked in a 52-day stalemate while attempting to conduct hit and run operations. In one of those operations, the ''March of Requiem'' was sent to slip behind the grid and invade the cities of Aragon. Atrium – the capital city – was put under siege and the MAC guns couldn't fire on the ship without civilian casualties. UNICOM tasked the 45th Air Squadron with diverting the corvette's attention so the evacuation can be conducted unhindered. The squadron consisted of skilled pilots and this was proven as the UNSC was able to damage the corvette's Callipoas-pattern engines and force it to retreat. Meanwhile in space, the Navy planned Operation: BLACK DAGGER as a means to take down the Prudent Advisory. The plan involved launching the ODP Gavin Station from geosynchronous orbit on a direct course for the Supercarrier. Once the MAC guns were in range, it'd let loose a blast that would tear through the flagship and create an opening for the UNSC fleet to overpower the Covenant. The mission was a success and forced a retreat. 'Fall of Aragon' Category:Outer Colonies